This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 19938585.8 filed Aug. 18, 1999, which application is herein expressly incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an adjustment arrangement for a tine carriers of a reel for a cereal cutting device which carries reaping tines.
2. Background of the Invention
In practical work, two basic types of reels are used on combine-harvesters. One type is a simple paddle reel which only transports the harvesting goods by tineless paddle bars to the machine. A second type is a tine reel. Here additional paddle tubes or paddle bars steel tines or plastic tines are mounted on the machine.
The tine reel has succeeded in combine-harvesters compared to the simple paddle reel since the tine reel can also securely process whirled harvesting goods. In a simple paddle reel, the paddle bars are rigidly mounted on the radial carrier stars. The stars are mounted on the center axle. The center axle is rotatably supported on the side bars above the cutting bar or reception bar of a harvesting machine. The bars in a tine reel, which include tines or tubes, are rotatably supported as tine carriers on the radial carrier stars.
Accordingly, the tines always work in a generally vertical direction to the ground. Thus, in most cases, a control star is used. The control star is arranged radially eccentrically to the axis and therefore also eccentrically to the carrier stars. The control star has a circular control path in the center in which one or more guide rollers roll. The guide rollers are supported by corresponding connection means on the side bars. The tine carriers are provided on the end with small cranks. The crankpins are respectively rotatably supported on the control star. The control star rotates in the same direction and with the same rotational speed as the holding star. Since the control star rotates eccentrically with reference to the holding stars, the crank ends of the tine carrier bars or the tine carrier tubes also rotate once with each reel rotation. Thus, the tines always show in the same direction, which in most cases are directed straight downwards.
Such reel controls have been known for a long time and are still used today in many reels of harvesting machines. Such reels have, however, the decisive disadvantage, that stems wrap around the tine carriers since the reels always rotate in the same direction. This leads, in some harvesting goods, to the tine carriers being completely wound full within a few harvesting meters. Thus, not only is the function hindered, but the total reel is blocked. It is very difficult and very often, very time consuming to loosen the rigidly wound stems manually from the tine carriers.
To avoid this unwanted condition, reels like those illustrated in DE-OS 27 36, 104, were developed. Here the tine carriers only pivot with each reel rotation around roughly 170xc2x0 in one direction and then pivot back again by the same degree. To achieve this 170xc2x0 rotation, a complicated lever mechanism is installed. Thus, the tines can not be inexpensively attached to a tine carrier but have to be attached by a more expensive paddle profile. The largest disadvantage is, however, that because of the forward and backward pivoting, the reel tines seen in forward driving direction project forward into a specific area and, when dipping into, for example, standing stems, a hitting movement is carried out. In sensitive harvesting goods, for example rape, the pods are beaten open, before they are transported to the machine.
A further disadvantage is that the tines project into the roadway when the very wide cutting device is stored on a transport wagon in a longitudinal direction and transported in road traffic from one place of usage to the next place of usage. The tine carrier which projects to the front must be detached from its control bars. The tine carrier tubes may be pivoted by hand. Thus, the tines do not project into the roadway. If this is not possible, the tines must be covered with an extensive protection device for such a transport.
To avoid a complicated lever mechanism in the pre-mentioned construction and to be able to use cheaper tubes instead of the expensive profiles as tine carriers, a reel design according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,235 or DE-AS 17 57 228 installs curve paths on the reel front sides on the holding bar. Here, rollers, mounted on levers and connected to the tine carrier tubes run on the curve paths. Depending on the path of the radii of the curves the rollers rotate the tine carrier via the lever. However, even here it is difficult, to use a curve, which ensures the pivoting of the tine carrier around more than 170xc2x0. Even in these known constructions, the tines always project in a specific rotational area in a driving direction toward the front. Thus, they likewise include the previously described disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,235 describes an embodiment of a reel which includes the above disadvantages. On each pivotable tine carrier, a short lever is mounted. The lever is displaced via a control roller by a control curve, which has a form diverting from a circular form. The curve extends closely to the tine carrier and at least over a partial area outside the circle of rotation of the tine carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,894 shows an adjustment arrangement. Here pivoting levers are connected to a reel pivotably around an axis. The pivoting lever has reaping tines on one end and rollers on the other end. The rollers run on a control curve, which diverts from a circular path. Therefore, depending on the distance of the control curve to an axis of rotation of the reel, the pivoting lever and the reaping tines are pivoted. To achieve large pivoting angles, the control curve has to have, however, at least partially, a large distance to the axis of rotation of the reel. Partially the distance of the control curve to the axis of rotation of the reel is larger than the radius of rotation of the reel and is therefore large.
An ideal tine position is the one where over the 360xc2x0 reel rotation, the tines work at least over a rotational angle of 180xc2x0 always in one direction. Thus, the tines are directed generally vertically to the ground. This means, that in the reels, which usually have six tine carriers, that the tines on four tine carriers project in a direction downwards. Accordingly, only the other two tine carriers are in the backwards rotating pivoting area. Heretofore, this ideal tine carrier control has not been achievable with any of the known constructions.
An object of the invention is to achieve the above pre-described tine control. According to the invention, the object is solved by an adjustment arrangement for the tine carriers of a reel for a cereal cutting device with reaping tines. The reel is rotatable around an axis of rotation and the tine carriers are off-set radially to the axis of rotation. The tine carriers are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation and are adjustable around an adjustment axis which extends parallel to the axis of rotation.
A control element includes a continuous loop first control curve which diverts from a circular path. The reel is rotatably arranged relative to the first control curve. The first control curve encloses the axis of rotation. The reel is arranged between the first control curve and an output element. The output element is connectable to the tine carrier.
A separate adjustment gear, which includes a driving element, is pivotably supportable around a pivoting axis on the reel. The adjustment gear is pivotably adjusted by the first control curve by a driving angle of rotation. Also, the output element is adjusted by an output angle of rotation. A ratio is provided where the output angle of rotation is larger than the driving angle of rotation.
Due to the ratio, the possibility arises that the tine carrier rotates more than 180xc2x0 forwards and backwards and to select a curve form for the first control curve, which achieves because of the gear ratio the wanted position of the reaping tines. The engineer can freely select a layout for the control curve which is closest to the requested usage condition. Furthermore, it is advantageous, that the tine carrier tubes carry out a forward and backward movement, so that the danger of winding the stems is minimized. Furthermore, a relatively simple construction for the adjustment arrangement is achieved. The adjustment arrangement contains no complicated gear elements which ensures that during driving on the road, the tines are directed downwards. The condition or handling or operating the reel is simplified by such an adjustment arrangement. Advantageously the first control curve is formed roughly like an egg or oval.
According to a first embodiment, the adjustment gear of each tine carrier has a single arm control lever which acts as a driving element. The control lever can be pivotably supported on the reel around a pivoting axis. One end is eccentrically supported with respect to the pivoting axis on a first control curve. A pulling means, acts as transmission element from the driving element to the output element. The pulling means engages, eccentrically to the pivoting axis, one end on the single arm control lever and acts eccentrically with respect to the adjustment axis on the adjustment means, which acts as an output element. The output element is connectable to the tine carrier to pivotally adjust the tine carrier. The other end of the pulling means is connected to a spring element which pulls on the pulling means to keep it tensioned.
In a second embodiment of the adjustment arrangement, an adjustment gear of each tine carrier has a two arm control lever. The two arm control lever is pivotably supportable around a pivoting axis on the reel and is supported eccentrically with respect to the pivoting axis. One end of the control arm is on the first control curve which acts as a driving element. A pulling means acts as a transmission element from the driving element to the output element. The pulling means engages one end of the two-armed control lever. The pulling means acts upon an adjustment means eccentrically with respect to the adjustment axis onto which the adjustment means is connected to the tine carrier as an output element. The output element pivotally adjusts the tine carrier. The other end of the pulling means is connected to the other end of the control lever, which is distanced from the end cooperating with the first control curve.
In addition to the first embodiment, the pulling means comprises a first and a second pulling means. The adjustment means comprises a first and a second adjustment means. The first pulling means is attached to one end to the control lever and acts eccentrically with respect to the adjustment axis on the adjustment means which is connected to the tine carrier to pivotally adjust the tine carrier. The second pulling means is connected at one end to the second adjustment means. The other end of the second pulling means is connected to a spring element keeping the pulling means tensioned.
Additionally to the second embodiment, the pulling means comprises a first and a second pulling means. The adjustment means comprises a first and a second adjustment means. The first pulling means is fixed with one end to the control lever and acts eccentrically with respect to the adjustment axis onto the adjustment means which is connected to the tine carrier to pivotally adjust the tine carrier. The second pulling means is connected at one end to the second adjustment means. The other end of the second pulling means is connected to the second end of the two-armed control lever, which is distanced from the end cooperating with the first control curve.
In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment means of each tine carrier is formed as a pulling means gear. The pulling means gear comprises an adjustment disc acting as a driving element, pivotably supportable around a pivoting axis on the reel. The adjustment disc carries a control roller eccentrically positioned with respect to the pivoting axis. The roller interacts with the first control curve. A pulling means acts as a transmission element. A first control disc acts as an output element. The pulling means is guided around the adjustment disc and the first control disc. The adjustment disc has a larger diameter than the first control disc. Advantageously the first control disc is formed essentially larger in diameter than the first control disc, which is arranged on the tine carrier. The gear ratio between the two discs can be freely selected independently with an advantageous layout of the curve path of the first control curve. The pivoting range, with which the output elements are pivoted around the adjustment axis, is from 0xc2x0 to 360xc2x0 and advantageously from 180xc2x0 to 210xc2x0.
In another embodiment, the pulling means may be chains, cogged belts, V-belts, flat belts or ropes. The adjustment means and the adjustment disc are correspondingly formed as chain gear, toothed belt pulleys, V-belts discs or flat belts discs. Preferably the spring element is formed as a tensioning spring, but also a compression spring is possible. The pulling means are then to be guided through the spring and to be fixed at one of the ends of the spring. The spring has then to be received in a spring bearing.
An advantageous support and guide of the control lever occurs when a support roller is supported on the control curve. In case only one control curve is provided, the support roller is held by the tensioning spring or the spring element in abutment to the first control curve.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the adjustment arrangement, the adjustment gear of each tine carrier is formed as a toothed gear. A first gear or a gear segment is pivotably supportable around a pivoting axis on the reel. A control roller is positioned on the first gear or gear segment. The roller interacts with the first control curve. The first gear or gear segment engages directly with a second gear mountable on the tine carrier or engages with the second gear with the interposition of an intermediate gear.
It is also possible to provide a second control curve which runs at a constant distance to the first control curve. In this case, the control lever or the support roller connected to the control lever, the adjustment disc, the first gear, or the gear segment is positively guided between the two control curves.
The reel of a combine-harvester corresponds in its width with the transversal width of a cutting device. Lately, cutting devices with widths of ten or more meters are common. Correspondingly the reel has to have the same width. The reel is rotatably supported on the bars on the side of the cutting device. This state of the art is commonly known and is not subject of the invention and therefore a representation thereof, is omitted.
The invention provides each rotational area of the reel with a different position of the reaping tine. For example, a control can be achieved such that the tines are directed vertically to the ground in the first path of rotation. Thus, the tines are able to dip into the harvesting goods without essentially diverting the goods. The tines may be directed to the cutting bar to aggressively pull the harvesting goods over the cutting bar. Also, the tines may project essentially vertical and pivot out of the following path so the tines easily pulled out the harvesting goods which are to be taken up by the machine.
In the following description, it is started from a reel for combine-harvester, however, such reels can be used in different harvesting machines, as a windrower or similar machines.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.